We all belong here
I walked out after school yesterday in the hope of watching some girls’ hockey - only to discover that the games were unsurprisingly cancelled due to frozen pitches! Boys, though, were out training for rugby under the floodlights and the sports centre was a hive of activity, with a busy badminton club in full flow and the fitness suite also humming with popularity. Later on, some of us were treated to a beautiful Christmas concert (and a mince pie) at Stoughton Church, where about forty musicians (choir, brass and strings) were performing – many in between rehearsals with the cast and crew for our forthcoming main production, Beauty and the Beast. In short, it’s a happily busy time of term, with lots happening around our core teaching and learning, and complemented by parents’ evenings and reports.
On our full reports, form tutors comment on their charges’ co-curricular activities, as we believe them to form a key part of our pupils’ education as they develop precious softer skills alongside the fun they have together. Our Sixth Formers will often lead the way and it’s always a joy to see them interacting with younger pupils and keen to make a positive difference to the life of the school. Two such examples last week were International Men’s Day and Culture Day, both important celebrations for our community. The former highlighted "the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities”, in addition to encouraging our boys to look after their mental health and to share any concerns; and the latter provided a very colourful (and tasty!) opportunity for our pupils and staff to tell the proud story of their heritage and to learn from each other. Those events were organised by Embrace, our equality, diversity and inclusion group. When I asked a group of Year 11s whether they had enjoyed Culture Day, one said how lovely it was to see everyone so happy and enjoying themselves!
Despite having their own privileges and facilities, our Sixth Formers remain an integral part of our community, encouraged by staff to take a lead role in clubs and societies. We know how important it is for our young people to have a sense of belonging, and we hope the message is clear: ‘We all belong here’.
I hope your child has a genuine sense of that, and that they are proud to be a member of the LGS community, enriched in so many ways by our diversity and to which each of us, whether pupil or staff, brings our own talents and personality.
Best wishes,
John Watson
Headmaster and Principal